W London – Leicester Square celebrates 20 years of Britpop

Lauren Laverne will curate the collection for W Hotels

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the iconic Oasis Vs. Blur UK chart battle, W London – Leicester Square has teamed up with the original lady of Britpop Lauren Laverne to launch The Britpop Collection, a vinyl library available to guests through room service.

Curated by radio presenter and former musician Lauren Laverne, The Britpop Collection features 40 handpicked vinyl records available for hotel guests to kick back and enjoy from the comfort of their room.

The unique service offers insider access to the best sounds from the British independent music scene of the early 90s, alongside the new wave of talent inspired by the movement.

W London guests simply select a record from The Britpop Collection, via W London’s Whatever/Whenever 24-hour concierge service, and the vinyl records will be delivered along with a classic Crosley player to spin the tunes throughout their stay.

The service is an extension of the hugely successful Vinyl Collection library launched in 2013 in collaboration with DJ Annie Mac, and is being released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the legendary Oasis Vs. Blur Britpop UK chart battle on August 14th.

Lauren Laverne is known from her early days as the lead singer and musician Britpop band Kenickie during the 90’s and now presents a daily radio show, as well as contributing to The Pool – the women’s media platform she co- founded.

Lauren has selected a range of heralded records from the era such as Blur – Parklife and Oasis – Definitely Maybe, along with less lauded albums such as Earl Brutus – Your Majesty… We Are Here and Longpigs – The Sun Is Often Out.

She has also selected a number of records from fellow ladies of the Britpop scene, including Catatonia – International Velvet and Sleeper – Smart.

Lauren rounds off the Britpop Vinyl Collection with a selection of records by more recent artists that have influenced by the iconic era, including Bloc Party – Silent Alarm and Kasabian – Empire.

Lauren Laverne said of the collaboration with W London – Leicester Square:  “Britpop was one of the decade’s most iconic music movements and compiling The Britpop Collection for W London has certainly been a trip down memory lane.

“The new room service is the perfect excuse to relive the highlights from the iconic era.”
Coen Van Niersen, W London general manager, said: “At W London we are always looking for new ways to celebrate British music talent.

“The Britpop Collection offers hotel guests the chance to check out some of the best British music from the 90s, whether it be from iconic bands such as Blur or Oasis, or a new wave of artists.

“We are truly excited to be working with Lauren Laverne, an icon of the Britpop era and one of Britain’s most renowned music tastemakers.”

The Britpop Collection by Lauren Laverne will be available to guests staying at W London – Leicester Square from August 14th 2015.